on line numbers, drop table errors, and log files

Hello-

A few quick questions, I'm interested to know how people solve these
issues.  Thanks!

(BTW: Pg 7.0.2)

1) Is there a way to find discover the line number of a script that causes
an error?  I mean, if I "\i script.sql" a 2000 line script, it is often
difficult to track down that it was line #1211 that has a problem.  What I
have been doing recently (don't laugh) is to iteratively chop the script
up into smaller pieces until I find the offensive command.

2) Is there a way to write a script such that it only drops a table IF it
exists?  Currently, I just place a "drop table blah" in front of a "create
table blah" and live with the error message.  I've noticed that some
people make a "drop table" script and a "create table" script, is this the
generally best way to do things?  The problems arise in that sometimes I
do not know (because things are automated) if the table exists yet or not.

3) Is it possible to have psql make a log file of a session?  This would
solve problem #1 above, because one could look in the log file to find the
first error message from the large script.

4) I run pg_dump this way: "pg_dump -D -u -a -f backup.dump main_v0_6" in
order to create a backup of my "main_v0_6" database.  In order to
regenerate the database, I first run a "\i create_tables.sql" script, then
I run "\i backup.dump".  However, I end up having to hand edit the
"backup.dump" file to place "drop sequence" statements before the "create
sequence" statements because they are created by my
"create_tables.sql" script.  I'm sure you Postgres gurus out there are not
doing it this way, what is your method of database backup/recovery?

TIA, Jon

-- 

-**-*-*---*-*---*-*---*-----*-*-----*---*-*---*-----*-----*-*-----*---Jon LaphamCentro Nacional de Ressonancia
MagneticaNuclear de MacromoleculasUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) - Brasilemail:
jlapham@gandalf.bioqmed.ufrj.br 
 
***-*--*----*-------*------------*--------------------*---------------